Colours
by Enie6891
Summary: Love comes in many forms and colours... just choose one. Or choose all of them.
1. Chapter 1

**Edit: Ok Im re-uploading the file since I screwed it up the first time. In addition, I will also ne uploading it in Spanish because it makes me a little angry that my spanish-speaking friends don't share their stories**

**Well ... it's the first time I write a fanfic. I have always written stories or poems, but a friend recommended me the manga of Sensei Haruba and, well, here we are.**

**My native language is not English, but Spanish, but with the help of translators and my intermediate knowledge of the language I think I have managed to write something ... acceptable.**

**I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. I plan to continue it.**

**Of course, all the characters are created by Negi Haruba.**

I remember that day with nervousness and happiness in equal parts. Feelings mixed together producing a vortex of anxiety in the depths of my being. God ... how beautiful you were! You held in your hand the diploma of our high school while tears and smiles escaped your being. You had worked so hard to achieve that. With iron determination and an overwhelming love as your main tools . I couldn't take my eyes off your figure ... from your soul. In that moment you had become the center of my desire, in everything I could dream of. Joy , sadness, despair, doubts, discussions and much more accompanied us all the way here. I taught you calculation, history, English and who knows how many other brushstrokes of knowledge.I also remember that this first step we took in our history did not begin in the best way . How stubborn we were! You all wanted to do it on your own! I remember your header phrase: "Thank you, but I don't need you. I can do this alone. " And I ... well, I needed the money for the debts that my family had accumulated since my mother's death, and working as your private tutor and your sisters was an opportunity that I could not afford to waste . Although now that I think about it, that first failed step it was also my fault. How cold and distant I had become in my high school years. I had focused all my attention and energy on my studies because I fervently believed that this was the tool that would ease the weight of Dad's shoulders and the entrance door so that Raiha could live a happy and carefree life. My ability to feel had been circumscribed, only, to them both.

While trying to gather some courage to approach you in the schoolyard, that school to which we would never return (at least not as students), someone anticipated my play and hugged you in laughter and tears with an intensity that, until that moment, I had barely noticed a few times. Ichika approached both hands to your cheeks and take between them. Then she nailed her eyes on yours. How strange it must be to see your own face in another person, I thought. Glances of powerful blues danced among you two. You also brought one of your hands to your face and placed it on Ichika's . "We did it ..." I assumed you told her, just based on the movement of your lips. Lips that were a gift that only wanted for me. Ichika simply nodded and hugged you again.

A little bit of courage invaded me. I stepped on the concrete floor of the schoolyard. One step. Then another. Another one. My eyes only on you. Someone approached you from behind as you said goodbye to Ichika, who was asked by many colleagues to take some pictures, and playfully hit your head with her diploma. You turned on yourself to see who it was and although at that moment I couldn't see your face, I would bet that a big smile would have drawn on it. Nino just winked her eye, decorated by voluptuous but delicate eyelashes, then dedicated one of her naughty giggles. You returned the favor of her mischief in the form of tickles. Then she kissed you on the cheek and walked away with her friends, mixing in the crowd.

My steps were already decided. There was no turning back. My decision moved forward, towards your figure, as if there was no tomorrow. I clash with someone on the road because my reverie around only to yourself and your name. I don't think I even apologized to the poor student, teacher or whatever I had collided with. I did not care. Meanwhile, you sighed and laid your eyes on your diploma. I thought I saw you whispering your own name as you looked around that piece of paper that witnessed all your hard work. You startled to feel that something extremely cold caressed one of your delicious cheekbones , and your eyes widened because of the surprise effect. Miku's gaze was serious, unperturbed. She pushed the Matcha soda can away from your cheek and spread it in front of you as if it were the most sacred offering. You followed the game. You erected your body as straight as you could and faced it with the same look full of solemnity. You took the can and brought it to your chest, and then bowed worthy of a samurai from the Sengoku era . Miku mimicked your movement . Then they looked into each other's eyes again. The tension was everywhere around ... "mmm... pppff... pfff... hahahaha!" Both of you burst into laughter. Then, Miku kissed you on the forehead and walked away in search of Nino and her friends.

My steps acquired more and more speed. However, I was terrified. What would you say to me once we are facing? What words would come out of my mouth?

While you were drinking with pleasure your Matcha the flash of a camera puzzled you. You turned your attention to the light source. "Shishishi..." you heard. You could not help but throw your eyes up, a little annoyed, a little fun. You placed the Matcha can on the floor, then you got up and with a gesture of your hands you told Yotsuba to come closer. Even laughing at her little mischief, she stood by your side. You punctured her delicate nose as a reprimand. Again... " Shishishi..." You whispered something in her ear. You took your cell phone and while Yotsuba brought her body closer to yours, you let a gigantic and luminous smile emerge from your face. Your sister made a "V" on the fingers of one of her hands as the other hug you tenderly. "Click" the little device shrieked. Yotsuba stroked your head with affection to later say goodbye between smiles. The basketball team was waiting to take a group picture.

At last... there you were just for me. Among all our classmates, teachers, parents and friends who witnessed our graduation, your eyes, the smooth skin of your neck, your hair that danced carelessly in the breeze of the rising summer, the delicacy and grace with which the school uniform that we would never use again adhering to your voluptuous curves like a painting, the fineness of your fingers still crushed with ink and... everything... everything in you was a reason, my reason to change once again. As in Kyoto. Once again. A thousand times more.

You raised your head. Your incisive look over my eyes. Above all my soul. It felt like a soft blanket that envelops you during the crudest and bloodiest days of winter. You blushed. Surely me too. I had already stopped walking towards you and not because I wanted to, not because I didn't want you. Seeing you in all your splendor was a show that stopped all the time around me, a scene that required that I, as an audience of a great masterpiece, cease all movement, all thoughts, so that you do your magic in me. The same magical passes that never stopped me falling in love over and over again from that moment when I began to feel that you were special, from the moment I saw in your eyes the determination that we share. Who started walking towards me was you. Tender but determined steps. Just like you: beautiful and diligent. You stopped just a few centimeters, embarrassingly close to us, the Japanese. You do not care. You didn't stop smiling for a moment. I fantasized that my body temperature rose to a thousand degrees. Then you looked back and forth, and put your diploma under one of your arms to, with your free hands, accommodate the collar of my shirt. You looked me in the eye again.

"So... now what?" You interrogated me. Embarrassed, I started playing with one of the hairs that covered my forehead. "I guess… we could have lunch together in a nice restaurant . You know, by way of celebration" I replied. You denied, vehemently, with your head. "Nino and Miku are going to prepare something special given the significance of the situation" you declared as your hands moved away from my neck, an act that I deeply regret. Laughter escaped my mouth at the correctness of your comment. That distention, that way you have to free me from all anxiety, is another of the most precious gifts I have on your part. To allow myself to be in the most natural, most honest way. Naturalness that is there as an intimate and selfless companion. So... courage and love. Above all love.

"Now... what?" I said in whispers, almost a thought out loud. And I looked up in search of your eyes and there you were, again looking directly at my center. "Now..." I said "Now I want you to know that you are the sweetest and most miraculous accident I've ever experienced in my life" I continued while one of my hands took one of yours and directed the other one to one of your cheeks. "Now… I want you to know that no matter how much I have taught you, you have taught me more. You have returned the color of all colors with your love. And I can't, I can't conceive of any future in my life, cheerful or tragic, without your being by my side, without your scent and your warmth…" I took a little breath while you raised your hand to my cheek. "And I don't care what might happen, I don't fear anything when I'm by your side. And if I had to make the same mistakes again, the same sins to find you again and again, and again, and again I would do it with the greatest joy. I love you" I said with a sigh. Tears fell from the most majestic and excited eyes I saw in my life. And with the last coins of courage that I had in my possession... "and that is all I can promise you. Love. Unfinished, imperfect and humble… but infinite" I finished with just a thread of voice muddled by the emotion of naturalness that you have given me.

"And that, Uesugui-Kun, is now..." and you kissed me, between tears and illusions, in the most passionate, messy, violent and sweet way I would ever experience. In the middle of that sweet storm I opened my eyes… Ichika smiled, with her true smile, that of the older sister. Nino could barely cool off with a tiny fan that she carried in her bag on summer days . The moment was too intense for her daring heart. Beside her, Miku clapped softly with a huge smile framed her face.

"Click" a sound accompanied the flash of a camera. Itsuki finally separated his lips from mine. "Arrrggg! Yotsuba!" You complained. This time, you were really angry.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're kidding right?" I said as I sat on the couch in the living room of the Nakano's . Ichika yawned, crossed her legs and made a face. "Why would I joke, Fuutaro-kun ?" She replied. I hit my forehead with my hand. Really, these girls are stupid. I had checked their stupidity the moment I became their personal tutor, but I would never have believed that idiocy would reach other aspects of their life beyond the academic. "Ichika" I said with a sigh "Your wish is to become an actress. I mean, in a professional one. Or am I wrong?". She leaned back in her seat and in a seductive tone said "How cute, Fuutaro-Kun! Who would say that you would worry so much about your onee-chan's wish?" And then stick her tongue out as a sensual joke. "Of course I want to be an actress... it's my greatest wish" she said seriously. I got up with a blow and pointing at Ichika with an accusing finger I shouted "Then! How can it be that you have not seen 'The Godfather'? How do you intend to become an actress if you have not seen one of the most important films in the history of cinema?" I finished almost breathless. Between agitated breaths my finger continued to point intensely towards the eldest of the Nakano who seemed not to flinch. Ichika yawned again and leaned back on the couch. Her legs swaying gracefully at one end. "You worry too much" she complained. "If it makes you feel better, Fuutarou-Kun, my agent got one of the most important actors in the country to train me throughout the year. Well, me and another small group of future actors. Something very exclusive!" Said Ichika. "In fact" she continued, "my agent told me that he is extremely demanding with his students. Something like a compulsive obsessive of cinema and acting. A nerd like you… but fascinated with the big screen" she concluded. "Aha" I said, and then approached Ichika to whisper the words that would make her panic. "And what do you think will happen when that 'nerd' finds out that you never saw 'The Godfather'?" I could see how Ichika's body tensed like a bamboo stick. "Shit..." she said as she buried her face in one of the armchair cushions. "I imagined it" I said with a smile " Fuutaro the nerd… one. Older sister... ZERO" I finished proudly.

Nakano's apartament continued there, as always. Many times it seemed to have a life of its own. And many times I thought that, if that were physically possible, It would have already put a gun in it's mouth and blown off it's brains out of it's skull. Not a suicide because of sadness, no. If not, rather, a suicide by exhaustion. Everything inside was chaos. But not a chaos made of hate and despair. On the contrary, it was built of confidence, mutual support and empathy... made of love. But chaos at last. Even if we are realistic... love can be really stupid many times. Everything about it was impregnated with the essences of each of the five sisters who inhabited it; You could find here or there lipstick or nail polishes of bombastic colors that Nino usually uses. Or cookbooks and pastries that Miku buys as if it were a compulsive accumulator. Or Ichika's clothes... for God's sake! Her room looks like a warehouse of the salvation army... or the bunker of a heroin addict. I think she has so many clothes that she must have even forgotten that she bought her and, maybe, she didn't even wear it once. It is also very common that I kicked some of the weights that Yotsuba used when exercising but that they end up being forgotten by her and by all the gods in the middle of the living room. Itsuki is the particular case. Everything in her life is perfectly measured and conscientiously organized. Her books, shoes, clothes and makeup have an assigned place in the department. And that excites me... She's good wife material. In spite of everything, the important thing is that this apartament, where friendship and love flourished, did not change. The ones that changed were us.

"Good. We have work to do" I said decisively. "Ichika, you take care of snacks. I'll go find the DVDs at home. Get ready, it will be a long afternoon and evening." Ichika sighed.

We sat down in front of the TV, I couldn't contain myself and decide to make a small introduction. I got up from the couch and started it. One of the few vices that I still keep from my times as a tutor of the sisters. "Ahem... Ichika you 're about to see one of the most great works of universal cinema. A story of betrayals, loyalty, family, tragedy and love" and with an air of solemnity I continued "Since you've decided to become an actress, I recommend that you pay close attention to the role of Marlon Brando. " Ichika raised her hand. "Yes?" I asked the oldest Nakano. "What is a 'Marlon Brando'?".

I remember reading in many of those books that I devoured with powerful curiosity, that stupidity had been the cause of many of humanity's most dramatic tragedies. Genocides, killings, economic and political crises, religious persecutions, etc. Inside I had decided not to leave room for idiocy because I wanted happiness for everyone I loved, and knowledge is a valuable tool when it comes to the pursuit of happiness. But there is also another kind of idiocy. One that is much less harmful. But idiocy at last. And for those who deny stupidity and despise it, any manifestation of it makes us nauseous. So…

"¿A... Marlon Brando...?" I thought I felt my jaw hit the ground. Ichika blinked a couple of times before nodding. "A Marlon Brando?" I said in a sigh. "Yes. Stop repeating it" Ichika replied and then aggravated the tone of her voice and continued mockingly "'A Marlon Brando?'… What is that? It looks like the name of a cheap cocktail." The time that I had already lived with the quintuplets and their stupidity had immunized me to a certain level, which allowed me to endure some good jabs from their nonsense. If it weren't for those previous experiences, I would have already thrown myself off the thirty floor of the condominium where they live. Defeated and with my absent look I sat on the couch next to Ichika. "You know... whatever. Just watch the movie and pay attention to their performances." "Hai! Sensei" Ichika just simply laugh.

I looked up at the clock that hung on the wall. 9:30 p.m. We spent the whole afternoon in front of the TV. I think I fell asleep at some point, but I remember that Ichika was fascinated with the story unfolding in front of her eyes. I saw her hold her breath and tears during the scene where Sonny dies riddled, or the sadness caused by Vincent's and Mary's intense but impossible love. And all those sensations that I knew would move Ichika, reached their climax in the final scene, when Michael embraces Mary's lifeless body on the steps of the theater and then ends with a heartbreaking scream. Now that I think about it, it would have been better to watch a comedy. I don't know, maybe some Jim Carrey or Seth Rogen movie. While the scene of the credits appeared on the screen, the oldest of the Nakano turned her head in my direction. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears fell down his cheeks. "Oh... my god... how can a movie make me feel all this?" She said while taking a tissue. Gently, I caressed her head and said "uhm… yes, well. Cinema is art, Ichika. It is supposed to make you feel something." Ichika cleaned her nose. "It was not a happy ending" she said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be" I replied. "It is as if all the sins that Michael and his family committed in the past have returned for him and took away from him in the most cruel way what he loved the most" she said . That surprised me. I thought it was a good way to see it. Perhaps the Nakanos are not very smart, but they sure know about feelings. "Anyway" I continued, "What did you think of the performances?" The sadness of Ichika left her face and was replaced by a look of great determination "They were excellent, Fuutaro-Kun! And not only the performances, the script and the dialogues, the music and the photography. It was great!" I could only smile at her enthusiasm. "Did you know that in many of the dialogues and scenes Marlon Brando improvised?" I asked in a funny way. " Wow... really?" She asked in amazement. "Sure! The scene where he is in his office and holds the cat in his lap. That was improvised. It only occurred to him to lift the cat that roamed the set and use it on the scene. " Ichika started laughing "Wow! It seems that he is not just the name of a cheap cocktail!" At her comment I could only join her laugh. Ichika Nakano. The oldest of all the sisters and one of the most important people in my life, someone with whom I can express my insecurities and share my concerns. She is definitely the older sister. Of all of us.

The warmth emitted by the cup of coffee in my hands contrasted greatly with the cool night breeze. The balcony of the quintuplet's apartament at night is one of my favorite places in the world. Maybe the second on my scale of favorite places. Of course, It would never beat the library of what was once my high school. And besides, it is usually our little shelter. Three months ago we graduated. Three months ago, all those feelings that I had put aside so much time emerged from me. It's been three months since Itsuki kissed me the first time. Or maybe it was the second. I do not know. To this day, the Nakanos still make fun of me because I still can't decipher who of the five sisters kissed me under the Bell. I don't even consider it important anymore. Anyway, three months ago we started dating. Three months ago, at night, this balcony is our little world of privacy. The rest of the sisters know it, that is why they respect it and worry that we enjoy the moment. The feeling is deliciously indescribable. Being able to be honest with my feelings and that, in addition, they have been reciprocated has been the sweetest of rewards. I still don't know what love really is. Maybe I never will. I only know that it has to do with the present, with the ability to accept yourself and change the times you feel you should do it. It's hard to explain but... hell! The sun shines even more. The colors are sharper and warmer. The sweets, even sweeter. Every breeze that grazes the skin is a blessing. And it's all because of her.

"Then she asked me WHAT WAS A Marlon Brando!" I said as I lay on the balcony rail. Itsuki tried to contain her laugh and pushed the coffee cup away from her body to avoid staining her clothes. "Typical of the Nakano" she said as she approached her body to mine. "You know they still need you... right?" she said as she drank of her mug. "Or maybe I need them" I said seductively. Itsuki gave me a small punch on the shoulder. "You only need me, Uesugui-Kun. But I can share you at least a little with them…" I looked at Itsuki for a few seconds. "Someday we will be family" I said, to which she questioned "What? Are we not now?" I sighed. "You know what I mean. Someday they will also be my sisters and as such I care about them. We all change a lot. And I want to be there for them, as I did today for Ichika. "I sipped my coffee. Itsuki pinched my nose. I looked down and tripped over the blue of her eyes. "You will do well. You always trusted us when nobody did. Not even ourselves. Maybe it's time for you to trust us the same way." And there she kissed me again. I pet her neck while the kiss continued. She gave some giggles that drowned in the middle of our mouths. We parted in search of air. She was blushing. "I have a surprise for you, Uesugui-Kun" she said. I looked at her expectantly, begging her to reveal the mystery. "I passed the college entrance exam" she said shyly. The last thing I remember that day was hugging her with the greatest satisfaction.

To hell the library. This is my favorite place today.


	3. Chapter 3

"Girls… come on! Please ! Can we rest a little? My back is killing me and these bags are cutting off my circulation" I said as I lifted several bags full of vegetables, meat, rice and spices."The important thing about my body is inside my skull. I am not a pack animal, you know!" I complained in anguish under the heat of the sun.

"Fuu-kun..." Nino sighed. "Man up for once in your life" she said without taking her eyes off the gigantic window of a clothing and accessories store in the city's downtown .

"Fuutaro " Miku's always calm voice rang out behind me. "Give me some of those" she said pointing to the bags I carried with me.

"Forget it... your sister was hurtful enough with her comment" I replied offended. A can of Matcha soda materialized in front of my face.

"C'mon . Drink. The weather its like super hot today " Miku said while holding the can for me.

"Miku ... I'm not a child" I said visibly blushed.

"There, there... drink" the third of the Nakano stroked my head while drinking. "You're a big boy, Fuutarou" she continued joking.

Nino and Miku share their love and vocation for the culinary for completely different reasons. Nino has always been the sister who took care of all household chores; how many times Itsuki woke up in the middle of the night with her ravenous hunger. How many times the sixth sense of Nino detected that her younger sister was in the kitchen, in the middle of the night, trying to assault any edible object she found there. The tsundere always be bothered with it at first, then cook somewhat reluctantly in the middle of the night to complete the task by kissing her cheek, happy to just be there for her. If Ichika had clean and ironed clothes at her disposal, it was because Nino had taken enough courage to enter her room and undergo the arduous and unpleasant task of swimming in that chaos of clothing, makeup and beauty accessories. And what happened when Yotsuba became sore or injured from her long training routines or basketball practice? There was Nino with cold packs, pain relievers and some other knowledge about muscle massages she had acquired through some YouTube tutorials. And while Nino used to scold her sisters, she never did it from annoyance or hate but , rather, from the love that united and armored each and every Nakano.

As for Miku... well, her love for what happens between pots and pans has much more to do with a matter of self-improvement. Although today her shyness is an extremely tender characteristic of her person, that was not always the case. As soon as I met her, I thought I had encountered the very anguish made flesh. Of melancholic appearance, with a heavy and sad walk, and the gaze of someone who seems oblivious to this world, Miku spent her days locked in that shell of what, at least for me, was an introversion product of a very low self-esteem . We both still remember with laughter her confession in the school terrace. she always reminds me how grateful she is with me for that. It was the first time she could express to someone on this planet what she loves and desires without fear of being judged or feeling like a weirdo. Then everything in her world was stern wind; her self-confidence was growing more and more, and her hard work and dedication only strengthened that Miku who looked forward to emerging from all that anguish. Although I am ashamed to admit it, I know that her decision to start a career in the culinary world was because of her feelings for me; and for that silly question she asked me about what kind of girls I liked. Anyway, I recognize that I love Miku. Every time I doubt myself or my abilities, I just need to think about her example to trust again.

I adore my future sisters but...

"Girls, it's enough. These bags are killing me. I'm going to sit over there " I told them as I crossed the street and settled on a small table outside a restaurant. Within a few minutes we were all sitting and ordering something for lunch. Saturday mornings are usually a great time I use to study, but this was the exception; Just a few days ago I came up with the great idea of organizing a dinner at home to be able to introduce Itsuki, in a slightly more "official" way, to Raiha and Dad. Not that they didn't know I was dating her, but I assumed that Raiha would love that whole lovey-dovey situation. On the other hand, Itsuki would be completely embarrassed in front of the constant jokes from dad. And I... I was terrified thinking in what would be the best way to invite Maruo Nakano and not die trying. To finish that great idea (which I was deeply regretting), it occurred to me that I should be responsible for preparing dinner. I have never cooked anything in my life. And although I know cooking is nothing more than a series of physical and chemical reactions combined and sequenced in a certain way, that 's not enough. I needed love for cooking and intuition. I needed Nino and Miku. That's why I asked them to teach me how to prepare the curry that I love so much, and they decided that the act of cooking begins even before turning on the oven, with the purchase of the freshest products you can get. So my desired Saturday of study and tranquility was replaced by a morning of shopping and an afternoon of cooking lessons.

"Fuu-Kun, what happens? Do you seem worried? "Nino asked as she dipped the spoon into her cheesecake. Miku just looked at me and drank her tea while waiting for an answer to her sister's question .

"I don't know if this dinner issue is a good idea" I said in a worried tone. "I think I'm only going to get to bother Itsuki. And I don't like the idea of having Maruo with sharp objects nearby either "

Nino meditated a few seconds. "Yes. That's true. Most likely, that meatbun monster will get uncomfortable. "

"... and that Dad will try to kill you." Miku finished.

"Thanks girls, really. Your words are really comforting " I replied ironically.

Nino hit me gently on the head as a reprimand. "Again, man up! Itsuki is shameful by nature."

"And arrogant too" Miku added raising her index finger .

"But that doesn't mean that all the things that embarrass her dislike her. In fact, I'm sure she's waiting for some kind of event like the one you plan" said Nino. Miku nodded with her eyes closed.

"Do you think so?" I asked visibly curious.

Nino sighed. "Fuu-Kun... How long have you two been dating?"

"Four months, eighteen days and..." I looked at my watch. "Eleven hours! "I answer proudly. Both Nakano looked at me strangely.

"Ewww..." Nino issued in disgust.

"Fuutarou that's... creepy" said Miku, who pulled her chair away from me.

"What? ... I like to calculate things. It's easier to predict what may happen " I said.

"That's your problem. You plan things too much. It's as if you were a cold and calculating automaton " Miku said as she imitated the movements of a robot with his arms.

"You should free yourself a little more. Like when you confessed the day we graduated" Nino pointed at me with the fork in her hand. Miku nodded.

"Ah! Don't remind me of that" I cover my face with both hands. "It was incredibly embarrassing"

Nino brought her hands to her cheeks and smiled "It was beautiful."

"Certainly beautiful, Fuutarou " Miku said.

Since we graduated, I barely had a few small moments when I could be alone with Itsuki. I mean a genuinely intimate moment for the two of us. The intimacy in the Nakano's apartamente is not usually something common because there is always someone entering or leaving it. The few times Itsuki came home she is literally kidnapped by Raiha because, in her own words, "I can't say no to Raiha-chan, Uesugui-Kun. Did you look in to her eyes?" Then my sister usually goes with her to the mall, or the cinema, or the park or where Raiha's whim orders at that time. Then, we use part of our time to study; It is our first semester at the university. Itsuki began her career to become a high school teacher in addition to a part-time job at our former school as an administrative assistant to the teachers department. I started my law career while continuing to work in Revival, so our free time as a couple is very relegated to all our obligations.

Nino tapped the restaurant table several times with her delicate fingers. "Since you're so busy with college and work, you could start with something less formal than dinner between families. Something more relaxed…"

" Mmm… a gift? Maybe?" I asked.

"Ah!" Miku's eyes lit up with determination. "That's it! It could be a nice accessory or maybe a neckla-"

"Lingerie" interrupted Nino calmly.

The silence that was born between us was that of a tomb, inside another tomb, in the middle of a gigantic desert... on Mars. Miku hardened her body and blushed at sidereal levels, the piercing blue of her eyes stuck in the void of nothingness. I opened my mouth and paled. Nino exchanged a confused look with her sister and then with me.

"… What? What did I say?" she asked us.

"A-Are you crazy?" I whispered to Nino, leaning my body over the restaurant table. "H-How could I give her something so intimate?"

"What's with that question? You are her boyfriend. It's the most natural thing in the world to give her something like that" Nino replied.

I sighed and looked away. "Not yet... we... we have not reached that level of intimacy"

" Ehhh!?" both Nakano shrieked .

"Neither the moment nor the place allowed it. I mean that the possibility of something like this happening has not been presented naturally. And I don't want to force or bother your sister either" I try to explain myself.

" Wow! How much chivalry" Miku joked.

"So much it bores" Nino added.

"I mean… uh… ah… it doesn't mean that I don't want it to happen but you know how she is. Not usually very honest with herself. And I don't even consider the fact that the nature of the matter in question is usually uncomfortable due to the formality of her personality " I said as I scratched my nose. I sighed. "I know that she has been making a great effort to be affectionate or rather to free herself from her shame. I mean, it is not that she is not affectionate to me but all that seriousness and reserved way of behaving usually plays tricks on her " I concluded.

"Mmm... I guess we could have a girls talk with her" said Nino. "We could also find some way to leave you two alone at home"

"Oh! That's a great idea, Nino. We could also prepare some aphrodisiac dish... " Miku added.

"… Or give them a voucher for a romantic night in a hotel"

"... Or scented candles so they can bathe together"

"Hey! Hold it right there!" I replied making a cross with my arms. " Enough is enough. This talk is getting too uncomfortable... I'm not going to discuss my sex life or... or... or the lack of it with you. It's weird " I replied in exasperation.

Nino and Miku looked at each other and then exploded, in unison, in loud laughter. I sighed deeply and smiled. I love my future sisters.

I looked at my watch. Ten o'clock PM. Sitting at the table in front of me was a generous plate of hot curry. I must admit that having asked Nino and Miku for help was an intelligent decision. I didn't expect less from me. The apartament of the quintuplets was going through those calm exceptional moments; Ichika had decided to spend the night at the house of one of her classmates from the acting seminar since they had to rehearse a new script they had been commissioned. Yotsuba was with the university bastketball team in a highly competitive training center that the university management had achieved for all its players, and would not return home until Monday. Of Nino and Miku there was no trace. Both had been confined in their rooms after dinner arguing that they were tired of having to dealt with me all day, first shopping during the morning and then scolding me in the kitchen for the rest of the afternoon. But we had succeeded; With their advice and assistance in the kitchen I had managed to prepare, on my own, a curry dish... worthy.

Keys movement echoed in the apartment and I got up from the chair.

"_Tadaimaaa_!" A sweet but clearly exhausted voice reached my ears.

" Hey! _Oyasuminasai…_" I greeted Itsuki warmly. "Hey, do you want to—"

"Ah! Sorry…" Itsuki interrupted me as she left her purse and backpack on the floor and sprint at full speed acorss the living room. "Bathroom! Bathroom! Bathroom! Bathroom! ".

I sighed and decided to pick up her things from the ground to get them out of the way. I sat on the couch while I waited for Itsuki to come back from the bathroom. "I hope it doesn't get cold" I whispered as I looked at the curry plate on the table.

"Aaah... the train back home was becoming torture" Itsuki said as she left the bathroom. "Uesugui-Kun... What are you doing here?" She ask myself once again she turned her attention to me.

"Surprise!" I said playfully as I rose from the couch. 'Don't think things too much'; 'Don't be a cold and calculating automaton' Miku's words echoed in my head. I came close to Itsuki and hugged her by her waist. Then I kissed her gently.

"Wow..." Itsuki blushed. "Uesugui-kun... what's gotten in to you?"

"Mmmm..." I replied while pretending to think of an answer. "Nope. I just decided to prepare dinner for my girlfriend " Itsuki opened her eyes in fascination.

"D-Did you prepare dinner for me?" she asked. I just nodded smiling. "Wait..." she said curtly. "What did you do? Did you fuck it up with something? Where are Nino and Miku?" The interrogation continued as she looked from side to side.

" Hey! That offends me, you know? " I replied a little irritated. "Nino and Miku are in their rooms… and no, I didn't fuck it up anything. It's just... that... that I wanted to prepare something for you. You know... do some 'boyfriends' thing. And I thought cooking for you will be... well, cute" While I was explaining the situation Itsuki was sat at the table and, without saying one single word, she took a bite of the dish in front of her. Admiring the situation I decided to add "Eh… I didn't prepare it alone. I mean... I did it by myself… ah the cooking. But Miku and Nino helped me all day, from morning with shopping and then during the afternoon, cooking. It may not be very good. I mean I tried it and I think it was not bad, a-a-although you know that my palate is very simple and, perhaps, a little boring and..." the words ran over my mouth to justify everything that happened in the day. Until my eyes met Itsuki's. Tears fell down her cheeks. she got up from her seat and approached me. she embrace me, bringing her body as physically as posible close to mine. I was stunned.

I looked at her eyes. 'Oh gosh... you're so beautiful' I thought. Itsuki took my face in her hands and kissed me. Her mouth tasted like curry. And it tasted good. Then she broke the kiss and looked me in the eye.

"I love you...Fu-Fuutarou" she said sweetly and then took me back in her arms.

As I gladly returned her affection, I looked up. Nino and Miku were in the hallway of the Nakano's rooms. They both smiled and showed me their thumbs up.

"I... uh... me too, Itsuki. Me too..." I replied.


	4. Chapter 4

I rolled on my futon to the side. Then to the other. The house bell rang again and again at a dizzying and steady pace. I extended my hand in search of my phone until I found it. 7:30 AM. Four new messages. Itsuki's first: 'Thanks for dinner (again)! And thanks for waiting for me at home until so late. Thanks for being by my side! I love you". I smiled like an idiot. Let's see the following. From Nino: 'Nino Briefing: The genki-beast has woken up. This is not a drill! I repeat: The genki-beast has woken up!' No... No no no no no no no. I immediately get up as carried by thousand demons and brought the cell phone closer to my face. What time did you send this message, Nino? ... 6:00 AM. Oh no, God, no. While sweat fell heavily from my temples, I checked the two remaining messages; 'Fuutarou-Kun What is that other movie you recommended? That of sins... or something like that.' 'Seven' I frantically answered Ichika's message. 'You scratched one of my best Teflon pans... you're sooo dead...' said the last message from Miku. Of course... if I don't die at the hands of Yotsuba before.

The fourth Nakano is a human container full of endless energy and enthusiasm. If you do something ten times, Yotsuba will do it twenty... and still have plenty of energy. She is a kind of super heroine... without super powers. Or rather, her super power consists of a kindness and altruism that, in the worst case, touch the pathological. Do not misunderstand me; Yotsuba is someone with a gigantic heart of gold, although sometimes very naive and dishonest with herself. She is terribly bad lying... but I must admit that when she successfully lies, she does so with one hundred percent effectiveness. She was the first Nakano I met. Even before Itsuki. And the first Nakano that forced a change in me. For better or worse... I will never know. Our fates crossed in Kyoto, during a school trip when I was just twelve years old and behaved like a rebel child. Yotsuba saved me from a problematic situation with some police officers and a cosplayer intervening on my part as a witness to the events. We spent the rest of the day together, walking around Kyoto, visiting temples and other places of interest. We even bought lucky charms in one of the temples. To be more exact, she bought five. Five. That number was a kind of vortex that revolved furiously around my existence. We promised each other something. A kind of contract between parties. Then we parted. Five years later we met again. She broke my personal space in the school cafeteria. I had changed. She too... only she couldn't accept it. Yotsuba supposed that I didn't know who she was. Like her sisters, she is an idiot. But I... I knew who she was.

"Nakano -San! _Ohayou!_"I heard Raiha's voice confirming my fears. I opened my bedroom door timidly, barely enough to be able to spy what was happening in the room.

"Raiha -Chan!" Yotsuba shouted as she threw herself on Raiha, knocking her down and hugging her to, between caresses and pampering, continue "ah! It is a pity that you can no longer become my beautiful and tender _imouto"_

"Nakano -San..." Raiha moaned in her arms. "I can't... b-breathe," she said as she hit Yotsuba on the back to free herself from her hug.

"Hey! Uhm… sorry, shishishi… "said the fourth Nakano as she released my poor sister from her hug .

"Nakano-San, did you have breakfast yet-"

"No no no. Error!" Yotsuba interrupted my sister.

"Eh?" Raiha looked at Yotsuba visibly confused.

"You may not be my _imouto,_ but sooner or later we will be family so..." Yotsuba stood proudly, "To hell with the honorifics!"

Raiha blinked a few times and blushed while doubtful said "Y-Yo-Yotsuba... CHAN".

Yotsuba smiled, "We'll work on it." Nakano's stomach rang throughout the room. "Uh... and no. I didn't have breakfast either. My sincerest apologies" she said as she parsimoniously bowed.

"Great! I am preparing _Omurice _and _Tenpura _of vegetables. I just have to wake up oni-chan and we can have breakfast together" said Raiha.

The atmosphere of the room turned dark, thick... the tension in the air was extraordinary. As a kind of killer robot, Yotsuba first turned her body towards the door of my room and then her head. Her gaze was bleak and menacing.

"Ah... Fuutarou-Kun ... You're mine ..." said Yotsuba as she came to my door with determined steps and a grim smile on her face.

"I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead..." I whispered in anguish as I pulled back.

Yotsuba carried not only the title of 'future sister'. She was also my best friend. The moment I discovered her attempt to hide her identity as that girl whom I had met in Kyoto, it occurred to me to follow the game to see where that whole matter was going. All that little Rena farce with Itsuki as an accomplice made me curious. I was really intrigued by what had happened to that kind and sweet girl whom I had promised. Well, it turned out that things had not gone well for her. Yotsuba had become an arrogant pompous during middle school who believed to be the best thing that had ever happened to the universe. Everything ended in disaster. She began to fail in her exams while her arrogance grew sustained by her successes in the clubs and extracurricular activities of her school. She had literally told her sisters not to associate her with any of them. How horrible, Yotsuba, how horrible. That Yotsuba collapsed to the ground at the end of freshman year of the quintuplets. Yotsuba's grades were so bad that she was expeled. And what did the sisters do about it? Those who had been despised by the fourth of them; they sank with Yotsuba. Because of the love they feel for her. And so it happened that, inside, Yotsuba decided to embrace that personality that seemed to exist only by and for the search for the happiness of all those around her. She tried to expel her sins.

"Fuu... Ta... Rou ... KUN!" Yotsuba exclaimed vigorously as she set foot inside my room.

"YOTSUBA! I AM STILL IN MY UNDERWEAR! DAMMIT! " I shouted with all my strenght. She just looked at my half naked body while I could see how the temperature of her face rose and a grimace of extreme shame is drawn on it.

"KYAAAAA!" she screamed as she throw me the blanket that covered my futon .

"Get out of my fucking room, dammit!" I shouted as I pointed toward the door. Yotsuba obeyed and left the room without taking her eyes off the floor. I sighed.

"Make sure you dress in comfortable clothes. Today is going to be intense! Today will be in Yotsuba mode!" She exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm through the closed door of my room.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked as I selected a pair of shorts and looked for my sneakers in my closet.

"Uhu... it is... Wait a minute!" Yotsuba said as if she had an epiphany. "I don't have to give you any explanation, Fuutarou-Kun!" She said exasperatedly. "From the beginning it was you who asked me... who made me PROMISE YOU that I would train you to be fit," she concluded.

"Uhm... yes, well... we could also forget it and -" I said while Yotsuba interrupted me.

"No no no. Forget it. A promise is a promise. Besides…" the tone of the fourth sister's voice became insecure. "…ah… erh… nothing. I have a headache. I'm on my period and… "

"Too much information and... Besides what, Yotsuba?" I asked in a serious tone. Silence. I sighed for the second time in the day. Nor would it be the last time. "Really? Are you going to lie to your best friend?" I said as I opened the door of my room. Yotsuba was petrified in front of it. I looked her straight in her trembling eyes. "Yotsuba... Spit it out!" I demanded as I tooked the ribbon of her hair, the one she refuses to stop using.

Yotsuba had developed feelings not for me, but for the promise we had made. When I started my job as their tutor, I had done it with my left foot. But Yotsuba was the only one of the quintuplets that was always extremely cooperative and well disposed towards lessons. She had become someone I could blindly trust, so our relationship only grew. When I decided to let her know that I knew who she was and that I remembered her with love all these years, she broke into a cry that seemed to have been kept deep inside her being. It was the last day of our last cultural festival. I don't know how many times she apologized for allegedly breaking our promise. She apologized and cried, and cried and cried. I hugged her and whispered in her ear 'Change or not change ... What does that matter now? What matters is the present, not the past. Let it go. I only have gratitude and admiration for you.' From that day, Yotsuba woke up from her lethargy. She still is that air headed genki girl, altruistic and clueless. But she is my genki air headed, altruistic and clueless friend.

" Hah ... hah ... argh ! ... p-please... HAH... mercy, stop it ... YOTSUBA! I'm going to die!" I said with my last breath and then dropped onto one of the benches of Yotsuba's favorite park. While trying to catch my breath as a result of the extreme exercise routine, Yotsuba stopped the chronometer on her watch and patted me on the back.

"Stand up. Come on." she told me. "At least you should stretch your muscles so as not to injure yourself" she concluded. I reluctantly obeyed. "Okay..." I replied and we began a long stretching session .

Once we finish the routine, we both sit in the park's swings to recover and drink something."I don't usually regret things, but without a doubt this training thing is the exception," I said.

She choked a shy giggle and started swinging. "I can assure you that if we keep this pace, in a few months you will thank me, Fuutarou-Kun..."

I gave her a look full of doubt. She just smiled. I began to swing next to her. "So? How's college going? "I asked. "Well..." she began "I must admit that it would be much easier with your lessons, but most of the girls on the team are good students and I'm with them on a study group that, for the moment, is giving good results. So don't worry… nerd" she finished.

"Who was going to think about it huh? My friend, the future Dr. Nakano…" I joked. "I never thought Maruo would influence you so much," I commented.

"It's not because of dad" Yotsuba replied. "Becoming a doctor is the most pragmatic way to help those who need it, those who are desperate and abandoned..." Yotsuba gave me a penetrating look. "And I do it because it's really what I want! There is no other reason than that ... and in case you are asking, I have learned to say 'No' as many times as necessary"she finished with the pride of a child who shows her parents a drawing .

I smiled at her words. "I didn't expect less from you..." without realizing it, I plunged into a train of thoughts. Two or three minutes passed in which we were silent. Only the squeak of the swings chains furrowed the air. "You know? I never thanked you for all this time. I mean I never did it explicitly, and I think—" Yotsuba interrupted me.

"You have already done it," she said. "Seeing that you fulfilled the promise we made is all the gratitude I need. And I was lucky to meet you again. And I want you to know that I am very happy for everything you've done with my sisters and, above all, with Itsuki . You know you'll always count on me ... although I really don't think you need me. You have always inspired us, so I really don't have to worry"

"Do I really look like that? That of someone who has everything resolved?"I asked confused.

" Is not that. But you are someone who always works hard and does his best. Regardless of the result, that single attitude makes you reliable." Yotsuba replied .

I stopped swinging and stood in front of Yotsuba . She also stopped and looked at me surprised. "Come on ..." I opened my arms while trying to hide my shame. "What do you want Weird-Kun?" Yotsuba joked. "Come on!" I insisted again. "I'm not going to stay this way all day," I said as I continued with my arms open. Yotsuba sighed amused "There, there ... alright" she said as she accepted my hug.

While we were still hugging I remembered something important. "Oh! Another thing ... now you're going to tell me what is what you're hiding from me" I said calmly. I felt Yotsuba's body shiver. We moved away from each other and she scratched the back of her head while smiling nervously. I pinched her ear. "Now" I demanded in a severe tone.

"Don't plan anything for this Saturday," she said nervously.

"Why?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

" Itsuki is planning a date with you. She will probably call you today to invite you. And, for God's sake, when she does, pretend you're surprised! Otherwise she will kill me ... or eat me. I don't know what's worse," said the fourth of the quintuplets.

"And why do you know that?" I continued my interrogation.

"Uhm… hahahaha! Nino insisted on having a 'girls talk' with Itsuki. And together we planned the appointment on Saturday" Yotsuba's nervousness vibrated in each of her words.

"I'm going to kill your sister!" I yelled in exasperation and, of course, extremely embarrassed.

Now that Yotsuba had informed me about Itsuki's plans for Saturday, I had decided that I would study a few more hours during the week to have that day off. I was at the desk in my room, with my books and notes scattered on it. My cell phone started ringing.

"Hey! How are you?" I replied through the small device.

"Good evening, Uesigui-Kun" Itsuki's voice on the other side.

"How long are you going to continue with that?"

"What do you mean?" Itsuki asked confused.

"I mean that 'Uesugui-Kun' thing. I think it's time to leave all that formality behind."

Silence.

"Itsuki? Are you there?"

"Soon," replied the youngest of the Nakano .

"Great, that sounded ... sinister" I said.

"Argh! Just forget it. What were you doing?" Asked Itsuki.

"What do you think?" I returned her question, joking.

"Fufufufu! I would bet everything to study..."

"Or maybe, thinking of you," I said seductively.

"HA HA HA!" The exaggerated laughter reached my ears. "It is not credible, but you will have a prize for the effort"

On my face I draw a smile that spread to my voice. "I was trying to catch up with some of my class readings. How was your day?"

"Exhausting… and happy. As always," Itsuki replied . "The classes are long but really interesting and fruitful, and the work is going well. I have time to talk with some of the teachers and… panic"

"Why do you say that?" I asked surprised.

I heard Itsuki breathe heavily. "Uesugui-Kun… Do you… do you think I will become a good teacher? Do you think I'm choosing well? ... H-how about if I'm wrong and— "

"Itsuki" I decided to interrupt her doubts. "Listen. I will be realistic ... or rather honest. I think being a teacher is a big responsibility. It's not just about teaching math, history or science or whatever. I don't think it's just about transmitting knowledge. I think it's something much deeper. Any idiot can swallow a huge amount of data, facts or formulas and spit it on someone else face. I think the most important part of beign a teacher is to inspire. Inspire others to be better, to overcome adverse situations ... to do something good for others. So no. I don't think you're going to become a good teacher, I think you'll be a great teacher. No, I don't think you're choosing right or wrong, but I think you're choosing with the passion that is born from your heart, and the passion is rarely wrong. And if, in effect, you are mistaking the way… anyway I will be there with you." My words shot out of my mouth. It was hard to recognize myself in them, but my feelings for Itsuki are a box of surprises, so everything can happen.

Silence.

"Itsuki? C´mon! Not again…" I said.

"Sometimes I think I don't deserve all this…" Itsuki replied in a whisper.

"It's not about deserving. It's about being fair" I said quickly.

The talk continued on less serious, more mundane but equally important matters. Every word, every gesture, every look brought our stories closer. And there was still much, much, much more to go. And someday they would no longer be two separate stories. Someday, sooner or later, they would become one.

"Hey..." said Itsuki. "Do you have plans for this Saturday?"

"Mmmm... I guess… a nice and quiet study session" I lied.

"Oh... right..." Itsuki's disappointment was enormous.

"But I must admit that I would prefer that a pretty girl invited me on a date," I joked.

Itsuki sighed "I still don't learn that Yotsuba doesn't know how to lie… So? What do you think if- "

I interrupted Itsuki "I would never say no to a beautiful girl ... Can't wait!"

"I think ... I think I can get used to this Uesugui-Kun..." Itsuki said.

"Fuutarou" I decided to correct her .

"Yes, that ... erh ... uhm ... see you on Saturday, _baka_!" Itsuki growled. "Good night ... I love you." And she ended the call.

I looked at my cell phone screen. "Me too... me too, dammit..."


	5. Chapter 5

The last rays of the sunset would slip through the twinkling, warm leaves of the trees. The gentle and pleasant breeze enveloped everything and everyone. The scene looked like a delicate canvas painted in watercolors. Everything around me seemed to be a dream, producing a drowsiness to which I gave myself with delight. When had I begun to feel again? What forces had been stirring within me? And even more... How had I been able to live until now without the presence of these sensations? Had I devoured myself so much? It doesn't matter anymore,' I thought. The past can't be fate... that's very cruel. The past must be the raw material, the tool that disarms the wheel of the Eternal Return. Living with the past... not in it. Lying in a tree in the small park, I decided to return to my reading:

"...She was a typical provincial woman with dull hair, combed in the shape of a ginkgo leaf, and exhibited a horizontal scar on her cheeks, scraped by dryness, which blushed excessively, about to be repugnant. He had a large handkerchief wrapped around his knees, from which hung a reddish-yellow woollen scarf without weight. Between the swollen hands with chilblains holding the wrapped handkerchief there was a red ticket, the third class ticket, clutched tightly. I did not like the girl's vulgar face, and I disliked her dirty clothes, as well as the irritation caused by her foolishness in occupying a second-class seat with the third-class ticket. With my cigarette lit, I decided without wanting to spread the newspaper on my legs to forget about her presence. Immediately, the sun's ray falling on the articles suddenly vanished to give way to the electric light, which highlighted in a strange relief the badly printed letters of some columns before my eyes. The train was passing through the first of many tunnels that intercepted the Yokosuka line..."

It's been a while since I read Akutagawa. The passages of "Mikan" were embedded in my mind like eternal echoes. Echoes that were always there, between us and within us, as if they were the oxygen itself. Something moved softly in my lap, as if trying to keep me from noticing its presence. My attention left the ink of Akutagawa and turned, solicitously, to the reason that had allowed me to feel again, to the source of the forces that were stirring in me, to the root of the sensations that had prevented me from continuing to devour myself.

"Hey... I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?" I whispered as I placed one of Itsuki's hairs behind her ear.

She gave a big yawn. "Uesugui-Kun... I fell asleep..." she said sleepily.

"I probably would have fallen asleep too if I'd eaten what you ate," I said laughing.

"How rude!" she exclaimed as she pinched my nose as punishment, but continued with her head in my lap. Then she encircle my waist with her hands. "Read some more for me..." she said as she closed her eyes again and smiled contentedly.

"What? Didn't your personal tutor teach you to read?" I asked jokingly.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed when Itsuki gave me a little punch in the back. "Hahaha... okay..." and I continued reading aloud.

I still remember the day I met Itsuki, the one that was like a dream. There I went, wearing a loneliness made up by my attitude towards studies as my only incentive. Her tray with a lunch that cost more than a thousand yens collided with mine, which was barely three or four hundred. My first impression was that she was really beautiful; her skin, her hair and every corner of her body. But what caught my attention was her eyes, her look. I had never seen a look so determined, so full of herself, but at the same time so weak and restless. Our first contacts were a disaster. I was a conceited and tenacious fool who assumed that everyone around me was a worthless idiot. And she... well, she wasn't much different. But where those differences put us in places that were irreconcilable with each other, our love, dedication and understanding of hard work as the engine of happiness brought us closer than anything else. I also remember, always amidst laughter, Itsuki's face when she discovered that I was the tutor her father had hired to make sure each of the Nakano girls finished school with a smile on her face. But our pride was always there, in the middle of both of us like a giant ravine impossible to get around.

"Well? Did you have fun today, Uesugui-Kun?" Itsuki asked curiously.

"Let's see... The visit to the museum during the morning was really fun..." I said as I held my hand to my chin.

"Even though I don't know how many times you've already been there in your life," she said as she sighed.

"So what? Some people go on a roller coaster over and over again. I go to the museum," I replied. "Then the walk through various bookstores was great too. Ah! And also, thanks for this" I said as I pulled a copy of James Joyce's Ulysses out of one of the bags.

"I didn't know you liked European authors so much..." said Itsuki.

"I like Americans too. Your boyfriend is very cultured, you know?" I said proudly as Itsuki frowned "...Oh! The next one may be one by Ambrose Bierce!" I finished enthusiastically. We walked for a few minutes in silence.

"So?" the youngest of the Nakanos asked me.

"What?" I returned his question.

"The date, dummy!" she said a little exasperated.

"Huh... right. The picnic in the park was a lot of fun, too. The sandwiches were really good. Maybe I could have eaten two or three more but..." I looked at Itsuki sideways.

Flushed she said "I-I'm sorry, I... sometimes I can't control myself and-and" I interrupted her by taking her hand and interlocking her fingers with mine, an action that raised her temperature even higher.

I looked forward. "The museum or a park... a book or millions of yens. One, two, or thousands of sandwiches... I don't care. I really don't care about all those things. The only important thing, the only thing I wish is that whatever you do, you do it with me" I said for sure.

Itsuki pressed her body against mine. I felt her smile.

The first time we both apologized to each other was thanks to Ichika's intervention. I remember his words: 'You have to treat Itsuki with delicacy'. How foolish I had been and how lucky I had been when I intentionally decided to confuse you with Miku that afternoon when you were studying on your own in the apartment and had borrowed her headphones. Weren't we both responsible for that? I guess we were. Stories written in pairs are like that. One side is never guilty and the other innocent. And those stories carry with them a great deal of responsibility. And we both began to open up to each other slowly but surely, like a flower that promises great beauty in exchange for patience. First came friendship, mutual trust and understanding. Sincerity, even though in many ways it can hurt us, not because it hurts capriciously, no, but because sincerity is known to be indispensable in the love that is built. And I will never tell you this but only because the rest of your sisters find it amusing (and a little bit of me too) and you are uncomfortable with it: I know it was you that afternoon under the bell. I know that it was your desire to understand that you were feeling for me that motivated you to carry out such a risky move, and I must thank you that it was also revealing for me because, since that day, and since your grandfather told me that to recognize each one of you I only needed love, that's when I started to think... no, not think... ... to feel that you were special.

The sun had already set completely when we turned the corner of the condo where the Nakano girls live. I tried to walk slower, trying to delay the separation and prevent the beautiful day I had spent with you from ever ending. For some strange reason you were doing the opposite. It seemed like you were trying to drag me to the door of the building with great determination. You even asked me to walk you to the door of the apartment you and your sisters share on the thirtieth floor. The one I'll remember for the rest of my life. You opened the door and I could see that the inside was completely dark. Only the moonlight, which had already appeared in the sky during the afternoon, timidly illuminated the room. You stopped at the entrance, turning your back on me. I thought I saw you shaking.

"Itsuki? Do you feel well?" I asked worriedly.

Quiet. I could see your back tightening and you were clenching your skirt with your fingers into an iron fist.

"Hey... Itsuki? Please tell me what's wrong..." said my voice, broken. You looked at me, right in the eyes. I thought the blue of your eyes would drag me to their depths if you continued to look at me like that. Yet I could see the same determined look, so weak and restless, so full of itself... only now, behind it all, there was love. You held out your hands and took mine while looking into my eyes for a second. The words that came out of your mouth at that moment made me experience sensations that I never even believed would come into existence.

"Stay with me tonight..." a firm whisper escaped from the most delicious lips. Your words left me stunned... vulnerable. Without saying more and with her hands still entwined with mine, she took me inside the apartment and closed the door. She delicately dragged me to the couch and made me sit on it. With tender but sensual grace she sat on my lap. Her eyes were reflected in mine. One of her hands went to the side of my head, stopping for a few moments to play with my hair. I was paralyzed. She sensed my confusion and gave me a small smile.

"I-Itsuki, I... your sisters? They-they could come back at any moment." the bewilderment colored my words.

"They won't," she said for sure.

"W-where are they?"

"I don't know," she replied and continued to look at me silently for a few seconds. "Do you want them to come back? Do you want to see them come through that door, Uesugui-Kun?" she questioned me as she took my face in her hands and brought her face closer to mine.

I slowly shook my head.

"What do you want?" She asked tenderly and I, not knowing what to answer, allowed everything that was stirring inside me to short-circuit and burst into a thousand colors. I brought my hands to her small and winding back while sealing her mouth with mine. Shit. The kiss hurt. Our tongues danced together at a frantic... animal-like pace. It was a few seconds before she moved her mouth away from mine. Her lips were swollen and wet. They were a magnificent work of art. Her forehead rested on mine.

"I love you. NOW. I want to call your name. NOW" She said. And an untamed force took over. She started taking off my shirt and I did the same with her clothes. Soon we could see our own bodies covered only by our underwear. With my eyes I begged permission and she, understanding and smiling, nodded. I struggled for a few seconds to free her from her bra. She said, jokingly, "It's like opening a Christmas present". I did not pay attention to Itsuki's comment. My focus was on the fight at hand. When I was finally able to achieve my goal, my heart leapt. I brought my hands into the intimacy of her body, an intimacy that had never been touched by hands other than Itsuki's. She emitted a muffled groan. I struggled, exalted, with the new sensations I was experiencing. Her body was, in the moonlight that filtered through the windows, pale as pearls. Her curves were at war with the mastery of my passions. At that moment, I only wanted to possess her as if I were a child in front of the dreamed-of toy. I gently deposited her body along the sofa as my legs were positioned between hers. Her thighs were burning me in the sweetest way. But in the midst of all this unruliness, a hesitation arose. I stopped looking into her eyes for a moment as shadows of anguish fell on my face. Sensing my discomfort Itsuki took my face in her hands again, forcing me to look into her eyes again. The goodness that emanated from them reassured me.

"I know you would never, ever, ever hurt me," she said with a smile. "I'm here, Uesigui-Kun... you never doubted me. Don't start now," she finished as she caressed my cheek.

I nodded.

Taking a breath, I began to press my masculinity on her intimacy. She began to slowly wrap me up... her whole being seemed to be made for me. At the point where our virginities were about to become a part of the past, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips in a clear sign of displeasure, so, as if she were the finest porcelain doll, I continued with the most sensible of precautions.

And there, for the first time, in that room, in that apartment, in this city, in this country, in this planet, in this universe and in this existence, we became one.

Ituski, opening her eyes again and starting to breathe at the rhythm of the movements of what was happening between us, said with a smile on her face "Fuutarou... Fuutarou... I love you".


	6. Chapter 6

**So, two chapters in one day. The remaining ones to be translated.**

**Next week I'll start writing the new ones.**

**I hope you enjoy them.**

"...and remember, for the next class, chapters four, five and six of Thomas' 'The Artifices of Institutions'. And, for heaven's sake, try to read it. That would make my job much easier... well, see you next week" sensei's voice echoed throughout the classroom. Exhausted by the academic day, I began to put my books and notes in my backpack. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. 'I'll be waiting outside the university. I'm in the cafe across the street' read Ichika's message.

"Uesugui" a deep voice brought me back to the classroom that was starting to empty of students. "Uesugui Fuutarou" he repeated. "H-Hai!" I answered as I stared at sensei who was waving me over to his desk. I gathered my things quickly and rushed to him. "Sit down, boy" said sensei as he pointed to a chair near the desk. I obeyed without a sound. Sensei began to review what appeared to be my student report, the one that contained all my grades and academic credits since I had started college, two years ago now. Taking advantage of the situation, I decided to answer Ichika's message: 'Give me ten minutes... something came up in class.' When I looked up, sensei was staring at me. I blushed from embarrassment. He just smiled and asked "Girlfriend?"

"Almost" I answered as I put my cell phone in my pocket, "one of her sisters"

"How old are you, Uesugui?" he asked.

"Twenty, Sensei" I answered. He nodded his head and looked back at my reports. It was almost two or three minutes of silence until I took courage and decided to find out what was going on.

"Uhmm... Sensei, sorry but... is something wrong?" I asked confusedly. It's not that I was worried about my academic performance at the university. On the contrary, I was proud of it; my grades were in the top five in law school so I didn't think this whole situation was related to my studies.

Sensei took off his glasses and put them on the desk. He walk his eyes around the room to make sure it's just him and me. Having checked the privacy, he lit a cigarette and relaxed his countenance until all academic seriousness was gone from his face. "You know... I love this university. I love teaching and I love my job as a lawyer... no" he paused for a few seconds as he closed his eyes, "it's not a job... it's more like a kind of profession. I don't know, like... carpentry or, I don't know, jewelry, maybe... Anyway, Uesugui, you know what they say about us? Did you? The lawyers, I mean." I denied with my head even more confused.

Sensei sighed. "The devil, before he was a devil, was a lawyer."

"Uh... I... I really don't know what to say, Sensei," I replied.

"Cut the 'sensei' crap, Uesugui," he said obfuscated. My eyes opened in an equal mixture of surprise and fear. What the fuck was going on? Sensei continued to look me straight in the eye, "You're not like the ninety percent of the students in this place, rich, spoiled kids who come here to carry on their daddy's legacy so they can treat the rest of the mortals like garbage for another generation" he took a puff on his cigarette.

I swallowed my saliva trying to moisten the desert that my throat had become. I opened my mouth so that any word would emerge from my being, but Sensei interrupted me.

"Why the fuck would someone like you want to become a lawyer?" shot sensei suddenly. I was petrified. The vehemence of his question had left me completely vulnerable. Sensing my confusion, sensei continued without taking his eyes off me "I know you are on scholarship because your family's economy is the same as that of an African country. Neither I nor any of the other teachers have a single complaint against you. On the contrary, your grades are excellent and in two years you have only been..." he returned to his seat to review my reports again, "absent from two classes. And one was because of your birthday."

"Yes! That! In fact, the day of my last birthday I tried to come to class but my sister and my girlfriend-" Sensei interrupted my explanation by raising his hand.

"Why the fuck aren't you studying... I don't know, medicine? Or are you becoming a teacher? Or... start a fucking NGO or save whales or whatever," he said as he blew his cigarette again.

"uhm, well... I... uhm... I-I hate blood and also, uh... and... ah... the-whales n-no... I don't care so much?" I said as I asked myself what the fuck was coming out of my mouth.

"It says here you work too," said sensei as he went back over my file. "in a bakery..."

"Yeah, well, you said it. My family is carrying some debt. And while I have a scholarship to college, I really need to work to pay it off," I explained why I had to work.

"The reality, Uesugui, is that you are intelligent and, above all, insightful. I have listened to you very carefully every time you have participated in the classes, and I must say that you have a very... peculiar conception of justice. Where the stupid and uptight of your classmates only see an opportunity to enlarge their egos and make money with justice you see... well, justice in a more natural state. To each his own, what he deserves," said sensei.

"Mmm... Thank you?" I replied in complete bewilderment.

"I'm not flattering you," and he blew his cigarette again. "What I'm doing is taking a chance. An opportunity that doesn't come along very often in the world of laws, and that is to find someone who can conceive of justice as deeply as you can." He paused a little, and gave a little applause, "so, what you're going to do is quit that shitty job in that bakery and you're going to start working with me," he finished for sure.

"What?"

"You heard me. You're going to stop wasting time serving coffee, washing dishes or whatever the hell it is you do at work," said sensei.

"But-but I'm not a lawyer yet, I mean, I'm barely a sophomore!" I decided to contradict the logic (or lack thereof) of the whole situation.

"Of course... legally you won't participate in any case. At least not until you finish your studies, which I'm going to make sure you do. However, in the meantime, I need someone like you by my side." He paused, meditating. "A disciple. What you're going to do is watch me work and you're going to soak up everything that's going on around you like a fucking sponge," he said confidently.

"I... I don't know what to say," I said

"And money won't be a problem. I'll pay you what's fair. You'll finish your studies while you learn by working with me. I'm going to make you a real lawyer, Uesugui. That's all" he said as he ended our crazy conversation. "Ah! By the way" he said as he held out his hand to shake mine, "That 'sensei' thing you'll leave alone for when we're in class. During work and the rest of the time... I'm Masao. On Monday, come see me to my office," and he extended his personal card to me and then left the classroom.

Stunned, I watched as Masao disappeared from my sight. So Masao, huh... the right man, who knows how to discern good and evil' I thought as I interpreted the meaning of his name while trying to assimilate everything that had happened.

I entered the cafe with heavy steps and my thoughts made a tangle impossible to understand. I shook my head and sighed in an attempt to forget everything that had happened.

"Fuutarou-Kun!" Ichika's voice pierced the air. She was sitting at a small table, drinking a frapuccino.

"Hey" I said as I waved to her and sat in front of her, exhausted.

"Wow... What's with that face?" she asked with a frown.

With an empty look I said "I just had the most bizarre job interview in the universe"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ichica.

I sighed. "You know what, forget it, it was a long, strange day. Above all, strange. So... what's going on?"

"What? Does something have to happen to see you?" Ichika said, joking seductively, the way only she knows how.

I smiled. "Of course not. I always have time for my favorite Onee-san," I replied in the same tone. "Ah! Of course we'll go to the premiere of your play next month," I said, recalling the invitation Ichika sent home to attend the debut of the play in which she would be the lead actress.

"Of course they'll go, dummy! Otherwise I'd drag them there," she said as she pinched my nose.

The acting seminar that Ichika had started almost a year and a half ago had yielded great results. It's true that, so far, she hadn't landed a role in any film, but she had managed to appear successfully in several castings for TV commercials or jobs as a model for some clothing brands. But above all, she had managed to get a very important role in a very important play. Ichika had never thought of the theatre as a valid option for the growth of her career; too much time in front of television dramas had reduced her conception about the art of acting, and she believed that cinema or television were the only places where she could work. It was on the recommendation of several of her fellow seminarians that she decided to try her luck in the theatre. In show business, you can become famous by a stroke of luck, although such cases are often the exception. The rule, generally, is that success in the entertainment industry is often simmered; those who aspire to succeed in such a competitive and bloodthirsty world know that they must, above all, work hard and deal with frustration. Something Ichika was very clear about. So she decided to try her luck in the theater to continue learning and developing as an actress. Well, that bet turned out to be a winner and Ichika was exultant and anxious in equal parts.

"...then imagine my surprise when Dad said he'd come to the opening of the play too. He even tried to smile! Can you believe it!? Hahaha" said Ichika. We both laughed as we talked to catch up. Once the laughter began to fade, I could tell that Ichika suddenly began to feel uncomfortable as if she were hiding something.

"Hey... Come on, what's wrong?" I said quietly as I drank from my coffee.

"In fact..." said Ichika visibly uncomfortable. " there's something I want to discuss with Fuutarou-kun."

"I knew it! What is it? Come on! Spit it out!" I said as if celebrating a small victory.

Visibly blushing, she said "I-I'm... I'm seeing someone. I'm not dating! B-but... I think, well... I think this sensor," she said as she held her hand to her chest, "is starting to shake again, and I'm actually..." doubt marred her words.

"Terrified" I commented to help her conclude her words.

Ichika sighed. "The truth is that I don't want to cry again like I did some time ago. I have too many things on my mind right now to have to deal with a broken heart again..." Ichika's comment made me a little sad since I clearly understood what she meant. "And it didn't matter that I locked myself in my room to try to swallow the pain. As soon as I came out of it, I could bump into Nino and her makeup, which was a mess because of the constant crying. Or hear Miku's choked cry through her bedroom door. And I can't even mention Yotsuba that... well, for a while she looked like she'd been sedated, and she wandered around the house like a shadow of a ghost... sometimes it was torture, you know, because I couldn't help but see my own reflection in them. It's not always fun to be a quintuplet," said Ichika in a melancholy tone.

"Yes... I know. And you know I'm sorry, I..." I tried vainly to apologize but Ichika interrupted me by denying with her arms.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. We can't choose who we fall in love with. And there's no such thing as pain that lasts forever. We have to learn to live with the past. Not to deny it. And I will be eternally grateful for everything you did for each of us, for your unconditional support and your friendship... but you must know that, sadly for you, you did not choose the most beautiful of the Nakano," she said as she stuck out her tongue and her face lit up again with her smile. Her true smile.

"Aha... so that's how it is? Maybe I could repent and change the Nakano" I said laughing.

"Forget it" she said as she crossed her arms and assumed a proud pose. "The most beautiful of all is no longer available..." and then, while pointing an accusing finger at me, she added "and if you ever hurt Itsuki in any way, Onee-san will kick your ass so hard that she'll put you in orbit around the Earth." We both laughed until I decided to return to the subject of her possible romantic interest.

"Well? Are you going to tell me who's the one who shook Onee-san's sensor?" I asked the oldest of the quints.

"It's a classmate from the seminar," she said as she started playing with one of the strands of her hair. "We had some dates... nothing formal. But I really enjoy his company and we also have a lot in common. He also works very hard and we share the same passion for what we do" Ichika's face was getting brighter and brighter as her story progressed, but at a certain point, all that brightness came back to be devoured, "I'm afraid... afraid that I'll have to swallow that pain again" said a remorseful Ichika.

"Look," I said as I scratched my head, "you know I was never very good with feelings, much less those involved in romance. Even today I'm learning about them along with Itsuki, but what I can tell you is that it's not worth fighting those feelings. I mean, if you did, it would be a losing battle. I think the best thing you can do is let things develop naturally, be yourself, you know? No matter how things are going to turn out, I think the important thing is to be true to yourself and your feelings. Of course, things can end up right or wrong, but if you do what you feel and let your heart guide you... well, your ass is going to follow. And most important of all, you won't have to take the blame for not being honest with yourself," I said looking into her eyes and holding her hand.

"Wow... until you become my Oni-chan!" Ichika said jokingly.

"Shut up!" I said blushing.

"Thank you... really, Fuutarou-Kun... thank you..." she said as she gave me one of her beautiful smiles.

I walked Ichika to the train station. As I waved my hand to greet her from the station platform, my cell phone began to ring. As I answered the call, I made my way home.

"How's my favorite Nakano?" I tried to sound seductive.

"Fufufu" Itsuki's muffled laughter came from the other side of the line.

I sighed. "Well, at least I tried," I said resignedly.

"And I congratulate you on that, Fuutarou. I will put a nice star on your effort to try," Itsuki replied jokingly. "How was your day?"

Recalling the bizarre job offer by one of my college senseis I said "well... at least it was a day full of revelations".

"Oh yeah? How's that?" Itsuki asked.

"I'll tell you personally. But don't worry, it's good news... I think" I said going over the day's events. "And I just left your sister at the station."

"Huh? Which one?" she asked in surprise.

"Ichika"

"Did something happen?" Itsuki interrogated me.

"Why? should it? Maybe she just wanted to talk to a friend alone," I replied proudly

" So you're keeping secrets, huh? C'mon! Let it go," Itsuki shouted.

"Forget it... I promised her I wouldn't say anything. Least of all to any of you," I said for sure.

"Fuutarou..." Itsuki's tone became incredibly seductive. Something she learned to do since we started dating and used to manipulate me. "Please... if you tell me what you talked about I swear I won't tell anyone, and besides... I could wear my old school uniform again when we're alone, you know? Like that last time..." she said in a whisper that lit up my whole body.

"...shit..." I said defeated.


End file.
